Thursday, October 23, 2008

Weird Black Bug

By now you know that my son is my biggest source of finding new and unusual creatures to photograph.

He came up with this weird black bug for me.

I was hoping I could photograph him through the Pom glass he was safely placed in, but as you can see the water spots got in the way. After a short time I gathered my courage and stifled my fear and allowed my son to release the ugly critter so I could try to get more proper shots.

Just look at him! Isn’t he terrifying?! His butt is so long and he can curl it or stretch it out, strange! I don’t think he has a stinger, but he has wings so I was extremely nervous the entire shoot.

He kind of looks like an alien, he’s such a freak! I’m so glad Haden kept a watchful eye on him and kept me safe!

What the heck is he?! And what will I do when my son no longer finds these weird mysteries for me to examine?

UPDATE: Through Pamela's comment I found out what kind of critter this is. It is a female Pelecinid Polyturator or Pelecinid Wasp, they lay eggs directly on scarab larvae buried in the soil. Ew.

he looks like a cross between a wasp and scorpion...and i've often thought that science fiction creatures came straight from the insect world. lol i'm like you...love to photograph em, but would be terrified if one got on me. yikes!!

This is one really freaky lookin' critter!!! Believe it or not, I swear I actually saw one of those guys on my picnic table this summer. I can't remember whether I took a pic of him or not...will have to look. Your shots came out great. You need to tell Hayden that he must stay close to home...his mother needs him to find bugs!!!

You're very lucky to have a son like that, and to live in a part of this world where there are lots and lots of these strange little creatures around! And to have the right camera and lenses AND last but not least, to have the TALENT to make these amazing pictures ! We on the other hand are the lucky ones that can see them through your blog!

your nature photos are AMAZING. Only reminds me how much I need to get a camara with macro lens. I'm adding you to my blog roll. Also, is your blog listed on the Nature Blog Network? If not, then it should be.